DATE=7/3/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40853
TITLE=CLINTON / ASIA REACTION
BYLINE=AMY BICKERS
DATELINE= HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: WHILE PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS DESCRIBED HIS NINE DAY VISIT
TO CHINA AS VERY PRODUCTIVE, THE TRIP IS BEING VIEWED DIFFERENTLY
IN PARTS OF ASIA. AS AMY BICKERS REPORTS FROM THE V-O-A ASIA
NEWS CENTER, THERE IS BOTH ANXIETY AND ANGER ABOUT MR. CLINTON'S
MISSION.
TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON HEADED HOME FRIDAY AFTER HIS SUMMIT
TALKS AND VISITS TO FIVE CITIES IN CHINA. HE AND CHINESE
PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN HAVE DECLARED THE TRIP A SUCCESS, SAYING IT
HAS DONE MUCH TO STRENGTHEN SINO-AMERICAN TIES IN SUCH AREAS AS
TRADE AND SECURITY.
BUT THE UPBEAT VIEW IS NOT UNIVERSALLY SHARED THROUGHOUT ASIA.
IN INDIA, THERE IS OUTRAGE OVER THE TRIP, ESPECIALLY AFTER
PRESIDENTS CLINTON AND JIANG ISSUED A JOINT STATEMENT ASKING
INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO SIGN THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN
TREATY.
INDIAN POLITICAL ANALYST K. SUBRAMANIAN NOTES THAT WHILE
WASHINGTON HAS ACCUSED INDIA AND PAKISTAN OF STEPPING UP A
NUCLEAR ARMS RACE WITH THEIR SERIES OF TESTS IN MAY, MR. CLINTON
IS IGNORING CHINA'S NUCLEAR THREAT.
/// SUBRAMANIAN ACT ///
MR CLINTON'S VISIT IS VIEWED IN INDIA AS A KIND OF TOTAL
COMPROMISE ON THE ISSUE OF NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. THE
UNITED STATES HAS NOT CRITICIZED CHINA FOR ITS
PROLIFERATION ACTIVITIES. HE HAS NOT CRITICIZED WHAT
CHINA HAS ALREADY DONE. AND HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY
ENFORCEABLE GUARANTEES FROM CHINA, WHICH MEANS THE
UNITED STATES HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO JOIN THE
NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME.
/// END ACT ///
INDIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GEORGE FERNANDES SAYS THE ACCORD BETWEEN
CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES NOT TO AIM MISSILES AT EACH OTHER
GIVES INDIA MORE REASON TO FEAR HE TOLD THE MAGAZINE JANE'S
DEFENSE WEEKLY THAT SUCH A DEAL COULD MAKE INDIA THE PRIME TARGET
OF CHINESE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
ACCORDING TO MR.SUBRAMANIAN, INDIA BELIEVES PRESIDENT CLINTON
HAS TURNED A BLIND EYE TO CHINA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN ORDER TO
BEEF UP BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT.
/// SUBRAMANIAN ACT ///
MR CLINTON IS INFLUENCED BY THE BUSINESS LOBBY WHICH
WANTS LARGE CONTRACTS FROM CHINA, AND THEREFORE THEY DO
NOT WANT TO DENOUNCE CHINA ON ITS PROLIFERATION.
THEREFORE THE NONPROLIFERATION HAS BEEN SACRIFICED FOR
COMMERCIAL PROFITS.
/// END ACT ///
SOME OBSERVERS IN TAIWAN ALSO SHARE THE VIEW THAT BEIJING IS
TRYING TO MANIPULATE THE UNITED STATES. BELIEVING THE SUMMIT WAS
ANOTHER STEP IN CHINA'S CAMPAIGN TO ISOLATE TAIWAN
DIPLOMATICALLY, THEY REACTED SWIFTLY TO MR. CLINTON'S PUBLIC
DECLARATION OF THE SO-CALLED THREE NO'S WHILE HE WAS VISITING
SHANGHAI. THE PRESIDENT SAID THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT SUPPORT
THE INDEPENDENCE OF TAIWAN, NOR THE CREATION OF TWO CHINA'S, NOR
TAIWAN'S ADMISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS.
AS ONE LEGISLATOR FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY PUT IT,
U-S POLICY TOWARDS TAIWAN IS ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE, WITH MR.
CLINTON MAKING CONCESSIONS TO CHINA WITHOUT ANYTHING IN RETURN.
OFFICIALS IN JAPAN HAVE ALSO WATCHED THE SUMMIT WITH A DEGREE OF
CONCERN, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN RESTRAINED AND DIPLOMATIC
COMPARED TO THEIR NEIGHBORS, TAIWAN AND INDIA.
JAPANESE OFFICIALS WORRY THAT CHINA'S TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES
ARE STARTING TO OVERSHADOW TOKYO'S CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH
WASHINGTON. ANALYST JOHN NEUFER, OF THE MITSUI MARINE INSTITUTE
IN TOKYO, A THINK TANK, NOTES JAPANESE NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS IN
RECENT DAYS HAVE REFERRED TO A NEW U-S/CHINA ERA.
/// NEUFER ACT ///
BECAUSE PRESIDENT CLINTON IS NOT STOPPING OVER IN
JAPAN ON HIS WAY BACK FROM CHINA, A LOT OF JAPANESE
OFFICIALS HAVE GOTTEN BENT OUT OF SHAPE. THEY ARE
FEELING THE UNITED STATES IS PRACTICING A POLICY OF
JAPAN-PASSING AND NOT PAYING DUE RESPECT TO AMERICA'S
GREATEST AND CLOSEST ALLY IN THE REGION.
/// END ACT //
MR. NEUFER SAYS WHAT IS VIEWED AS WASHINGTON'S COOL ATTITUDE
TOWARDS JAPAN IS A TACTIC TO ENCOURAGE TOKYO TO SOLVE ITS
ECONOMIC WOES BY STABILIZING THE AILING BANKING SECTOR AND
SHORING UP THE WEAK YEN.
/// NEUFER ACT ///
I DON'T THINK THE WHITE HOUSE IS PLAYING FAVORITES. I
THINK THE WHITE HOUSE IS PLAYING HARDBALL. THE WHITE
HOUSE IS VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING JAPAN TO CLEAN UP
ITS ECONOMY SO IT CAN BE AN ENGINE OF GROWTH FOR ASIA.
/// END ACT ///
BUT MR. NEUFER EXPECTS THAT WASHINGTON'S TIES WITH JAPAN WILL
REMAIN STRONG. HE NOTES THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS DISPATCHED
SECRETARY OF STATE MADELINE ALBRIGHT TO TOKYO TO DISCUSS
SOLUTIONS TO JAPAN'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. HE SAYS THE JAPANESE
WILL BE WATCHING FOR MORE PROGRESS ON THAT FRONT WHEN PRIME
MINISTER RYUTARO HASHIMOTO GOES TO WASHINGTON LATER THIS MONTH.
(SIGNED)
NEB/AB/FC
03-Jul-98 6:01 AM EDT (1001 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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